“Waiting for the Bass to Drop”: Correlations Between Intense Emotional Experiences and Production Techniques in Build-up and Drop Sections of Electronic Dance Music

Abstract

This study investigates the correlations between theories of intense emotional experiences and production techniques used in electronic dance music (EDM), commonly known as “build-up” and “drop”, which are designed to create tension and a heightened emotional intensity among clubbers. This is done by descriptive and interpretive music analysis, where spectrograms and a schematic model visually represent the dominant production techniques. Through a theoretical framework consisting of musical expectancy and gravity, an analysis of two recently produced EDM tracks suggests that i) extensive use of uplifters, ii) the “drum roll effect”, iii) large frequency changes, iv) removal and reintroduction of bass and bass drum, and v) a contrasting “breakdown” cause tension and anticipation, which seem to correlate with a possible intensification of emotional experience. This is furthermore discussed and more broadly related to the club experience, drawing on the psychological concepts of Peak Experience, Strong Experiences with Music and Absorption.